In a conventional heat exchanger such as a condenser, horizontal rows of tubes are supported at spaced points along the length of the tubes by support plates. A typical support plate is 3/4 inch thick. The support plates must be drilled to provide the holes through which the tubes will extend. Each tube must be guided through its hole in the support plate. Hence, the support plate envelops a band 3/4 inch long around the entire periphery of each tube in a manner whereby such band is unavailable for acting as a condensing or heat exchange surface. Each condenser or heat exchanger has a substantial number of such support plates at spaced points along the length of the tubes.
Because of the cost and time consuming effort involved in the use of a conventional support plate as the primary structural member, the present invention is directed to elimination of the conventional support plate.